Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-04-27

Dr0pdTdUlOuS 10 use U06In. 6A6 WdS
almost within musket-shot when we
lost our wind entirely, and, as looked
astern, saw dark cloud creeping
over the horizon, and knew that some
thing more than capful of wind was
getting ready for us. A streak OF
wind from off shore brought the junk
slowly along, while we stood still.
The mate whispered his orders, and
each of us took g. musket and adj
vanced to the starboard rail. We
had orders not to fire until they were
near enough to make every bullet
count. On their side we could see
from thirty to thirty-fve half-naked
and Misunderstanding fellows, with
cutlasses in hand, ready for boarding.
Not shout was raised nor loud
word uttered on either side. They
floated down to us SIS silently as death,
and in grim despair we awaited their
coming. They meant olay us aboard
on the starboard bow, and had men
ready with graphing irons. The junk
was not more than pistol shot away
when we fired our volley, and three of
the pirates were toppled over; then
the others began to yell and brandish
their naked blades, but we had neither
eyes nor ears for them. Our mate
was shouting:
g" Load, boys, and give it to them
again, and then stand by with the cut
asses
"We got in another volley, killing
two more and ounding one Or two,
and then the Junk struck us, the grap-
nels were thrown, and with frightfuI
yells the pirates boarded us. We cut
down the first two Or three, but they
dropped over our rail so fast that we
retreated off In body, and presently
the whole pack of them were on our
decks. A few had pistols, but the ma.
jority had only Japanese cutlasses.
We rallied at the mainmast, and for
two or three minutes there was
hard fighting, during which one of
our men was shot dead, and
another received a bad wound from g.
cutlass. We should have been forced
back Or exterminated right there in
two or three minutes more but for an
unexpected diversion. Our captain
had been aroused, and broke his way
out, and he suddenly appeared be-
hind us armed with large American
bowie knife, which no one knew he
possessed. The only garment he had
on was his shirt. His hair was on end,
his eyes blazing fire, and there was no
doubt of his being dead crazy. He ut
tered terrific yell as he came to our
rescue; and he forced his way past us
and attacked the pirates single-hand-
ed. ! saw him kill two while you could
hn NJ
were alone enough to scare man
out of his boots. The pirates raised
cries of alarm and reiterated before
him, and the way we cut 'em up was
awful. Such as could get there got
aboard the junk as fast as possible,
and, while two oil us were casting off
the grapnels, our captain broke away
from the mate and sprang aboard the
Junk, just as g. strong puff of wind hit
and separated the two crafts. We
had to stand Oy our sails, for the
breeze had come at q gallop; but we
were not over 800 feet from the junk,
which was broaching to, when there
was dull explosion, and the air was
filled with 81 thousand fragments of
the piratical craft. A head and an
arm were blown aboard of us, as also
pieces OF boards and timbers.
GAS soon as we could get the brig
under control we made couple of
tacks to fetcn the spot of the explo-
sion, but the only vestige of her fate
consisted of q few shattered planks
and g. mast. There was no one to
save and not q corpse in sight. We
certainly killed five before being laid
aboard. On our own decks were
eight more, making 8 total of thirteen
out of about thirty-fve. All others
persisted in the explosion, and perhaps
it was better that our captain died
that way. Our loss, including him,
was only two, and the three wounded
men were not laid off dutvD